PALESTINE is working to cement its diplomatic relations and other avenues of links with Tanzania to foster mutually beneficial engagement of the two states.

Hamdi Mansour Abuali, ambassador of the State of Palestine, made the remarks in Dar es Salaam at a ‘Monday Agenda’ interview with Capital Television, in the wake of a decision by three European countries to recognise the Palestinian state.

He said that for a long time Palestine-Tanzania ties were enshrined by the supportive initiatives tied to Tanzania’s overall support for liberation movements, noting that there is no paralysis at the diplomatic level owing to the on-going Israel war on Gaza.

“Tanzania-Palestine diplomatic relations are solid. This has not changed since the days of President Nyerere,” he said, underlining that the embassy and envoys have been receiving a warm welcome and very strong support.

“This we highly appreciate,” he said, noting that nothing has changed since Israel started its military operations in Gaza. “At this time of aggression, we knew from our experience that we have other ways of continuing with the programmes,” he stated.

He pointed at unruffled business ties with Tanzania as Palestinian investors usually pick up a second nationality to come to Tanzania to pursue business undertakings, underlining his satisfaction with the government’s tolerant outlook on the issue.

It has let into the country Palestinians holding second passports based on the difficulties of coming to Tanzania on a visa with a Palestinian passport largely due to actions of third countries, he affirmed.

“We would like to appreciate the symbolic actions taken by Spain, Norway and Ireland in recognising the Palestinian State as an attempt to save the two-state solution likewise protecting Israel,” the envoy declared.

He was concerned that Israelis have not shown any signs of readiness to come to a conclusion of the current situation, the will to have a dialogue on ending its military campaign.

This would give a chance for Palestinians to rebuild their nation, he said, highlighting that Palestine and Israel entered into a peaceful process in the past 30 years hoping that this would lead to the solution of being recognised as a people. 

“This is not something that we have just been planning to do. We have been doing it within the United Nations, with the Russian Federation, the European Union, the Arab League, the Islamic Organisation and the African Union,” he said.

 The envoy pointed at struggles for the last 100 years where the Palestinians have been fighting against aggression and demanding their state rights. “After 1948 when Israel was created by a resolution of the United Nations, that same resolution called for a resolution on the Palestinian State which did not happen,” he explained.

“When you talk of a war you have one army on this side and you have another army on the other side. You have almost equal powers but the Palestinian people do not have an army. We do not have states that support us. If we are to talk of the Vietnam and America war, Vietnam had support from other countries.”

The Gaza Strip has an unfolding humanitarian crisis on account of nearly seven months since Israel launched a devastating offensive in response to October 7 mass attack in southern Israel.

Gaza authorities say that more than 34,600 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive which has laid waste much of the Gaza Strip.